About Genuine Windows

Genuine Windows is published by Microsoft, properly licensed, and supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. Only customers with genuine Windows have access to all optional updates and downloads available from Microsoft, which are designed to help you get the most from your PC.

Activation pairs your product key or digital entitlement with your hardware configuration and helps verify that your copy of Windows hasn't been used on more PCs than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. Usually, you only need to activate Windows once, unless you make a significant hardware change.

Genuine Windows is a recurring process that checks your product key or digital entitlement to make sure it's not blocked or being used on hardware that's different from what you were using when you activated Windows. The genuine, or validation, check is performed when your PC attempts to download optional updates from Microsoft. For example, when your PC downloads updates, Windows checks to see if your product key or digital entitlement is valid. If it is, Windows on your PC is genuine, and you're eligible to receive the latest updates from Microsoft. If it's not, your PC is running non-genuine Windows.

The best way to make sure is to buy Windows or a PC with Windows preinstalled directly from Microsoft or from a store that you know and trust. Look for key features of genuine Windows, such as the Certificate of Authenticity (COA), a proof of license label, and an edge-to-edge hologram. For other ways to check if you're running genuine Windows, visit the ﻿What to look for ﻿page on the Microsoft How to Tell website.

If you're seeing notifications that the copy of Windows that's installed on your PC might not be genuine, or that you might be a victim of counterfeit software, it's likely that your copy of Windows wasn't properly activated or is otherwise not genuine. To fix this, click the notification and follow the steps to either repair Windows or—if you've inadvertently obtained counterfeit software—buy genuine Windows.

Until you correct the issue, you'll receive periodic reminders that Windows is not genuine. In addition, to more clearly display these messages, your desktop might turn black. You can reset it, but every 60 minutes, it will return to black until the issue is resolved.

Regardless of genuine status, Windows will still be able to get critical security updates. However, access to optional updates or benefits available exclusively to genuine Windows customers might be restricted.

You can't install Windows on more PCs than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. Usually, the rule to follow is that only one copy of Windows can be installed on one PC. For more info about licensing Windows on more than one PC, go to the ﻿M﻿icrosoft Volume Licensing ﻿website.

Yes. Regardless of genuine status, you'll still be able to get critical security updates. However, if your copy of Windows isn't genuine, you won't be able to install many updates that are exclusively for customers with genuine Windows. We strongly recommend that you get genuine Microsoft software immediately to help keep you safer while using your PC.

Validation is an online process that verifies that your copy of Windows is genuine and that critical Windows licensing files haven't been damaged, deleted, or removed. It takes only a few moments and lets Microsoft create a match between your PC's hardware profile and your 25-character product key or digital entitlement.

Validation might be required for your copy of Windows before you can get downloads and some updates from Microsoft, which are reserved for PCs running genuine Windows. Windows might also prompt you to run genuine validation if activation isn't properly completed.

If your copy of Windows fails validation, the validation results page will detail why Windows isn’t genuine, as well as provide info on how to resolve the issue.

There are a few common scenarios in which Windows running on a PC might be discovered to be non-genuine during validation.

Repairs. You might start to see messages on your desktop that Windows isn't genuine after your PC has been repaired. Validation can fail after a repair because some repairs require reinstallation of Windows and during the process, the shop or person repairing your PC used a product key to activate Windows that was different from the one used to activate Windows when it was originally installed. You might not see notifications that Windows isn’t genuine until after you try to download something from the Microsoft Download Center that requires validation, and validation fails. To get genuine, reenter your original product key to properly activate Windows.

For other scenarios, you'll likely need to buy a Windows license to get genuine.

1 License = 1 PC. Another common cause of Windows validation failure happens when you try to install Windows on more PCs than your license allows. For instance, if you purchased one copy of Windows and installed in on more than one PC, online validation might fail because the product key has already been used on another PC. Normally, the rule to follow for most copies of Windows is that only one copy of Windows can be installed on one PC. For more info about licensing more than one PC, go to the Microsoft Volume Licensing website.

Counterfeit software. Validation will also fail if you’ve inadvertently acquired and installed counterfeit Windows. Because counterfeit can be difficult to detect, the Microsoft How to Tell website can help you identify counterfeit software and file a counterfeit software report if necessary. Validation failure is also common for counterfeit Windows that was purchased either by itself, perhaps from an online auction site, or even installed on a used PC that was purchased online or in-person. Remember to ask the seller to include the original Windows disc and the Certificate of Authenticity.

If you inadvertently bought or received counterfeit software, or have information about a person, business, or online site that might be selling counterfeit software, you can file an online report. The report you submit will be treated by Microsoft as confidential. Microsoft devotes substantial time and energy to fighting software counterfeiting, and you can be assured that we will take appropriate action in response to your report.

To file a counterfeit report, go to the Microsoft ﻿How to Tell ﻿website.